22 resultados para Negative dimensions

em Doria (National Library of Finland DSpace Services) - National Library of Finland, Finland


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1. Introduction "The one that has compiled ... a database, the collection, securing the validity or presentation of which has required an essential investment, has the sole right to control the content over the whole work or over either a qualitatively or quantitatively substantial part of the work both by means of reproduction and by making them available to the public", Finnish Copyright Act, section 49.1 These are the laconic words that implemented the much-awaited and hotly debated European Community Directive on the legal protection of databases,2 the EDD, into Finnish Copyright legislation in 1998. Now in the year 2005, after more than half a decade of the domestic implementation it is yet uncertain as to the proper meaning and construction of the convoluted qualitative criteria the current legislation employs as a prerequisite for the database protection both in Finland and within the European Union. Further, this opaque Pan-European instrument has the potential of bringing about a number of far-reaching economic and cultural ramifications, which have remained largely uncharted or unobserved. Thus the task of understanding this particular and currently peculiarly European new intellectual property regime is twofold: first, to understand the mechanics and functioning of the EDD and second, to realise the potential and risks inherent in the new legislation in economic, cultural and societal dimensions. 2. Subject-matter of the study: basic issues The first part of the task mentioned above is straightforward: questions such as what is meant by the key concepts triggering the functioning of the EDD such as presentation of independent information, what constitutes an essential investment in acquiring data and when the reproduction of a given database reaches either qualitatively or quantitatively the threshold of substantiality before the right-holder of a database can avail himself of the remedies provided by the statutory framework remain unclear and call for a careful analysis. As for second task, it is already obvious that the practical importance of the legal protection providedby the database right is in the rapid increase. The accelerating transformationof information into digital form is an existing fact, not merely a reflection of a shape of things to come in the future. To take a simple example, the digitisation of a map, traditionally in paper format and protected by copyright, can provide the consumer a markedly easier and faster access to the wanted material and the price can be, depending on the current state of the marketplace, cheaper than that of the traditional form or even free by means of public lending libraries providing access to the information online. This also renders it possible for authors and publishers to make available and sell their products to markedly larger, international markets while the production and distribution costs can be kept at minimum due to the new electronic production, marketing and distributionmechanisms to mention a few. The troublesome side is for authors and publishers the vastly enhanced potential for illegal copying by electronic means, producing numerous virtually identical copies at speed. The fear of illegal copying canlead to stark technical protection that in turn can dampen down the demand for information goods and services and furthermore, efficiently hamper the right of access to the materials available lawfully in electronic form and thus weaken the possibility of access to information, education and the cultural heritage of anation or nations, a condition precedent for a functioning democracy. 3. Particular issues in Digital Economy and Information Networks All what is said above applies a fortiori to the databases. As a result of the ubiquity of the Internet and the pending breakthrough of Mobile Internet, peer-to-peer Networks, Localand Wide Local Area Networks, a rapidly increasing amount of information not protected by traditional copyright, such as various lists, catalogues and tables,3previously protected partially by the old section 49 of the Finnish Copyright act are available free or for consideration in the Internet, and by the same token importantly, numerous databases are collected in order to enable the marketing, tendering and selling products and services in above mentioned networks. Databases and the information embedded therein constitutes a pivotal element in virtually any commercial operation including product and service development, scientific research and education. A poignant but not instantaneously an obvious example of this is a database consisting of physical coordinates of a certain selected group of customers for marketing purposes through cellular phones, laptops and several handheld or vehicle-based devices connected online. These practical needs call for answer to a plethora of questions already outlined above: Has thecollection and securing the validity of this information required an essential input? What qualifies as a quantitatively or qualitatively significant investment? According to the Directive, the database comprises works, information and other independent materials, which are arranged in systematic or methodical way andare individually accessible by electronic or other means. Under what circumstances then, are the materials regarded as arranged in systematic or methodical way? Only when the protected elements of a database are established, the question concerning the scope of protection becomes acute. In digital context, the traditional notions of reproduction and making available to the public of digital materials seem to fit ill or lead into interpretations that are at variance with analogous domain as regards the lawful and illegal uses of information. This may well interfere with or rework the way in which the commercial and other operators have to establish themselves and function in the existing value networks of information products and services. 4. International sphere After the expiry of the implementation period for the European Community Directive on legal protection of databases, the goals of the Directive must have been consolidated into the domestic legislations of the current twenty-five Member States within the European Union. On one hand, these fundamental questions readily imply that the problemsrelated to correct construction of the Directive underlying the domestic legislation transpire the national boundaries. On the other hand, the disputes arisingon account of the implementation and interpretation of the Directive on the European level attract significance domestically. Consequently, the guidelines on correct interpretation of the Directive importing the practical, business-oriented solutions may well have application on European level. This underlines the exigency for a thorough analysis on the implications of the meaning and potential scope of Database protection in Finland and the European Union. This position hasto be contrasted with the larger, international sphere, which in early 2005 does differ markedly from European Union stance, directly having a negative effect on international trade particularly in digital content. A particular case in point is the USA, a database producer primus inter pares, not at least yet having aSui Generis database regime or its kin, while both the political and academic discourse on the matter abounds. 5. The objectives of the study The above mentioned background with its several open issues calls for the detailed study of thefollowing questions: -What is a database-at-law and when is a database protected by intellectual property rights, particularly by the European database regime?What is the international situation? -How is a database protected and what is its relation with other intellectual property regimes, particularly in the Digital context? -The opportunities and threats provided by current protection to creators, users and the society as a whole, including the commercial and cultural implications? -The difficult question on relation of the Database protection and protection of factual information as such. 6. Dsiposition The Study, in purporting to analyse and cast light on the questions above, is divided into three mainparts. The first part has the purpose of introducing the political and rationalbackground and subsequent legislative evolution path of the European database protection, reflected against the international backdrop on the issue. An introduction to databases, originally a vehicle of modern computing and information andcommunication technology, is also incorporated. The second part sets out the chosen and existing two-tier model of the database protection, reviewing both itscopyright and Sui Generis right facets in detail together with the emergent application of the machinery in real-life societal and particularly commercial context. Furthermore, a general outline of copyright, relevant in context of copyright databases is provided. For purposes of further comparison, a chapter on the precursor of Sui Generi, database right, the Nordic catalogue rule also ensues. The third and final part analyses the positive and negative impact of the database protection system and attempts to scrutinize the implications further in the future with some caveats and tentative recommendations, in particular as regards the convoluted issue concerning the IPR protection of information per se, a new tenet in the domain of copyright and related rights.

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Työkyky koostuu psyykkisestä, sosiaalisesta ja fyysisestä osa-alueesta. Psyykkinen osa-alue koostuu jaksamisesta, sitoutumisesta, vuorovaikutuksesta sekä osaamisesta eli siis lähinnä yksilön ominaisuuksista, kun taas sosiaaliseen työkykyyn vaikuttavat myös työyhteisön jäsenet, työympäristö sekä organisaatiokulttuuri. Fyysinen työkyky koostuu pääosin niistä fyysisen toimintakyvyn ominaisuuksista, joita työn suorittamisessa tarvitaan. Toimintakyky määrittää myös sosiaalista ja psyykkistä työkykyä, siltä osin kun sitä tarvitaan työstä selviytymisessä. Ikääntyminen asettaa haasteita mutta myös mahdollisuuksia työkyvylle. Selkeintä heikkeneminen on fyysisellä osa-alueella, kun taas sosiaalisen ja psyykkisen osa-alueen heikkeneminen ei yleensä näy työiässä. Päinvastoin, ikääntymisen on todettu parantavan esim. sosiaalisia taitoja ja lisäävän arkipäivän viisautta.Työkykytoiminnalla pyritään ylläpitämään työkykyä tai ehkäisemään tai korjaamaan työkyvyn alenemaa. Se voi kohdistua yksilöön, työyhteisöön tai koko organisaatioon. Toiminnan onnistuminen edellyttää kaikkien organisaation tai työyhteisön jäsenten osallistumista ja sitoutumista toimintaan, ja onnistuneen työkykytoiminnan seurauksena hyötyvät työntekijän ja yrityksen lisäksi yhteiskunta. Työkykytoiminnan keinoja ovat työn, yksilön, esimiestyön sekä työyhteisön kehittäminen.Stora Enson Anjalankosken tehtailla toteutettiin kolmevuotinen ikääntyvien työkykyprojekti, jonka tavoitteena oli työ- ja toimintakykyä parantamalla ehkäistä ennenaikaista eläköitymistä ja säilyttää ikääntyvien hiljainen tieto mahdollisimman pitkään yrityksessä. Projektin jäsenien työkyky oli jo varsin korkea jo projektin alussa, mutta se onnistuttiin pitämään ikääntymisestä huolimatta korkealla tasolla projektin aikana. Projektin jäseniin kohdistuneen tutkimuksen perusteella tärkeimmäksi työkyvyn määrittäjäksi nousivat työtehtävät tai paremminkin niiden soveltuminen yksilön tarpeisiin, kykyihin ja arvostuksiin.

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Protein tyrosine phosphorylation controls a wide array of cellular responses such as growth, migration, proliferation, differentiation, metabolism and cytoskeletal organisation. Tyrosine phosphorylation is a dynamic process involving the competing activities of protein tyrosine kinases and protein tyrosine phosphatases. The protein tyrosine kinases are further divided into non-receptor- and receptor tyrosine kinases. The latter are transmembrane glycoproteins activated by the binding of specific ligands, mostly growth factors, to their extracellular domain, transmitting different signals to the cell. Growth factor receptors such as the epidermal growth factor receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and platelet-derived growth factor receptor β, belong to the receptor tyrosine kinases, the signalling of which is often disturbed in various diseases, including cancer. This has led to the development of receptor tyrosine kinase antagonists for use as anti-cancer drugs. As the receptor tyrosine kinases, also the protein tyrosine phosphatases can be divided into receptor- and non-receptor types. The protein tyrosine phosphatases have attained much less attention than the receptor tyrosine kinases partly because they were identified later. However, accumulating evidence shows that the protein tyrosine phosphatases have important roles as specific and active regulators of tyrosine phosphorylation in cells and of physiological processes. Consequently, the protein tyrosine phosphatases are receiving arising interest as novel drug targets. The aim of this work was to elucidate the negative regulation of receptor tyrosine kinases by one non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase, T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase TCPTP. The results show that TCPTP activated by cell adhesion receptor integrin α1 functions as a negative regulator of the epidermal growth factor receptor. It was also found that TCPTP affects vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 signalling and angiogenesis. Lastly, a High-throughput screen with 64,280 compounds was performed to identify novel TCPTP activators, resulting in identification of one small molecule compound capable of exerting similar effects on TCPTP signalling as integrin α1. This compound is shown to downregulate signalling of epidermal growth factor receptor and platelet-derived growth factor receptor β, as well as to inhibit cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Our results suggest that a suitable small-molecule TCPTP activator could be utilized in the development of novel anti-cancer drugs.

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Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli selvittää tulospalkkiojärjestelmän vaikutuksia käytännössä. Päätutkimusongelmat olivat: toimiiko tulospalkkiojärjestelmä toivotulla tavalla ja jos ei toimi, niin miten sitä tulisi kehittää? Vastausten saamiseksi kerättiin empiiristä aineistoa suomalaisesta hotelli- ja ravintola-alan yrityksestä. Aineisto kerättiin www-kyselynä Internetin kautta. Kyselyssä selvitettiin mielipiteitä myös avoimin kommentein. Teorian mukaan hyvin toimiva tulospalkkiojärjestelmä voi tukea merkittävästi yrityksen strategisten tavoitteiden saavuttamista. Toisaalta huonosti suunniteltu ja strategian kanssa ristiriidassa oleva järjestelmä voi toimia tavoitteiden vastaisesti. Tulospalkkiojärjestelmän rakenne, kehittämistapa, yhteensopivuus strategian kanssa sekä ennen kaikkea työntekijöiden tietämys järjestelmästä vaikuttavat tulospalkkiojärjestelmän merkitykseen työntekijöille. Tulospalkkiojärjestelmä vaikuttaa yksilön toimintaan merkityksensä kautta. Tutkimuksen teoreettisena viitekehyksenä käytettiin TKK:n tulospalkkiojärjestelmän toimivuusmallia. Mallin avulla arvioitiin tulospalkkiojärjestelmän vaikutuksia tavoitteisiin, toimintaan, yhteistyöhän ja ilmapiiriin sekä työasenteisiin. Lisäksi arvioitiin järjestelmän toimivuutta järjestelmän tarkoituksen, rakenteen sekä esimiestyön kannalta. Tutkimustulokset osoittavat arvioidun järjestelmän toimivan pääosin hyvin ja sillä on merkitystä työntekijöille. Järjestelmä tunnetaan hyvin ja sillä on myös rahallista merkitystä. Toteutuneiden tulospalkkioiden määrä ei kuitenkaan näytä olevan riittävän suuri motivoidakseen sellaisenaan. Teorian ja tutkimustulosten perusteella esitettiin ehdotuksia tulospalkkiojärjestelmän kehittämiseksi. Tulospalkkiojärjestelmää tulisi kehittää yksinkertaisemmaksi, jotta sillä olisi enemmän toivottuja vaikutuksia.

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Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli kuvata ja selittää etätyöntekijöiden työhönsä kokemaa omistajuuden tunnetta sekä sen syntymismekanismeja ja seurauksia. Lisäksi tavoitteena oli selvittää kuinka etätyön eri muodot korostuvat etätyöskentelyn oletetuissa eduissa ja ongelmissa. Etätyön muotojen osalta oli tavoitteena myös selvittää niden yhteyttä itsenäisyyden tunteeseen. Tutkielman tutkimusmenetelmä on kvantitatiivinen ja määrällistä aineistoa analysoitiin SPSS-ohjelmiston avulla. Tutkielman tutkimuskontekstina on etätyö. Tutkimuksen perusteella etätyöntekijät kokevat työnsä keskimäärin melko paljon omakseen. Tutkimustulokset osoittivat, että työtä kohtaan koettu psykologinen omistajuus syntyy kolmen ”reitin” kautta, joita ovat kohteen hallinta, kohteen perusteellinen tunteminen ja voimavarojen käyttäminen kohteeseen. Näiden ”reittien” syntymiseen taas oli positiivinen yhteys seuraavilla työn ulottuvuuksilla: työn vaatimat taidot, työn hahmottaminen, työn merkitsevyys, itsenäisyys sekä palaute työstä. Tutkimustulokset todistivat, että psykologinen omistajuus oli positiivisessa yhdeydessä työperäiseen itsetuntoon, työtyytyväisyyteen, työmotivaatioon, yksilön kehittymiseen työssään, vastuuntuntoon työtään kohtaan sekä rehtiyteen. Voimakkain yhteys psykologisella omistajuudella oli työtyytyväisyyden kanssa. Tutkimuksen perusteella voidaankin sanoa, että mitä enemmän henkilö kokee työnsä omakseen, niin sitä tyytyväisempi hän on työhönsä. Tutkimustulokset osoittivat, että etätyön muodolla on merkitystä etätyöskentelyssä koettuihin etuihin ja ongelmiin. Täysipäiväisen etätyön tekijät kokivat edut kaikista positiivisimmin ja ongelmat taas kaikista negatiivisimmin. Mobiilit työntekijät kokivat työssään alhaisempaa itsenäisyyden tunnetta kuin muiden etätyön muotojen edustajat.

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The aim of this paper is to analyze the effect of price and advertising on brand equity. The dimensionality of brand equity is thoroughly examined, and the effect price, price deals, perceived advertising spending and advertising appeal have on the dimensions of brand equity are analyzed using multiple regression analysis as well as other supporting analyses. Price and advertising are found to be of great importance to brand equity. Arguably the most influential finding is the strong positive effect low prices – an integral brand element – have on the case company brand equity, even though a negative effect was hypothesized based on prior research. The results also support separating advertising appeal from perceived advertising spending, as well as linking service quality as part of the overall perceived quality in the context of service-intensive firms.

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The computer is a useful tool in the teaching of upper secondary school physics, and should not have a subordinate role in students' learning process. However, computers and computer-based tools are often not available when they could serve their purpose best in the ongoing teaching. Another problem is the fact that commercially available tools are not usable in the way the teacher wants. The aim of this thesis was to try out a novel teaching scenario in a complicated subject in physics, electrodynamics. The didactic engineering of the thesis consisted of developing a computer-based simulation and training material, implementing the tool in physics teaching and investigating its effectiveness in the learning process. The design-based research method, didactic engineering (Artigue, 1994), which is based on the theoryof didactical situations (Brousseau, 1997), was used as a frame of reference for the design of this type of teaching product. In designing the simulation tool a general spreadsheet program was used. The design was based on parallel, dynamic representations of the physics behind the function of an AC series circuit in both graphical and numerical form. The tool, which was furnished with possibilities to control the representations in an interactive way, was hypothesized to activate the students and promote the effectiveness of their learning. An effect variable was constructed in order to measure the students' and teachers' conceptions of learning effectiveness. The empirical study was twofold. Twelve physics students, who attended a course in electrodynamics in an upper secondary school, participated in a class experiment with the computer-based tool implemented in three modes of didactical situations: practice, concept introduction and assessment. The main goal of the didactical situations was to have students solve problems and study the function of AC series circuits, taking responsibility for theirown learning process. In the teacher study eighteen Swedish speaking physics teachers evaluated the didactic potential of the computer-based tool and the accompanying paper-based material without using them in their physics teaching. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected using questionnaires, observations and interviews. The result of the studies showed that both the group of students and the teachers had generally positive conceptions of learning effectiveness. The students' conceptions were more positive in the practice situation than in the concept introduction situation, a setting that was more explorative. However, it turned out that the students' conceptions were also positive in the more complex assessment situation. This had not been hypothesized. A deeper analysis of data from observations and interviews showed that one of the students in each pair was more active than the other, taking more initiative and more responsibilityfor the student-student and student-computer interaction. These active studentshad strong, positive conceptions of learning effectiveness in each of the threedidactical situations. The group of less active students had a weak but positive conception in the first iv two situations, but a negative conception in the assessment situation, thus corroborating the hypothesis ad hoc. The teacher study revealed that computers were seldom used in physics teaching and that computer programs were in short supply. The use of a computer was considered time-consuming. As long as physics teaching with computer-based tools has to take place in special computer rooms, the use of such tools will remain limited. The affordance is enhanced when the physical dimensions as well as the performance of the computer are optimised. As a consequence, the computer then becomes a real learning tool for each pair of students, smoothly integrated into the ongoing teaching in the same space where teaching normally takes place. With more interactive support from the teacher, the computer-based parallel, dynamic representations will be efficient in promoting the learning process of the students with focus on qualitative reasoning - an often neglected part of the learning process of the students in upper secondary school physics.

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The theme of this thesis is the learning process that occurs when teachers become professional voice users. The aim is to explore what it (really) means to become a professional voice user in a teaching profession; thereby developing an understanding of how future education in this field can be arranged so as to both effectively prevent vocal problems and to develop oral didactical competence among teachers. The ambition is to describe, interpret, and understand the learning process through a combination of emic and ethic research perspectives. The theoretical frame of reference reflects the cross disciplinary character of the thesis. Voice problems are common among both student teachers and inservice teachers and adversely affect professional competence, identity and quality of life. Additionally, vocal problems are proven to have a negative impact on pupils´ learning. The individual elements of learning are explored in the light of experiential learning theory and transformative learning theory. The social elements of learning are explored in relation to the theory of situated learning. In addition, theories of teacher professionalisation in terms of competence and identity are outlined. The empirical study has a longitudinal and multi method character. It is anchored in a phenomenological hermeneutical tradition, more specifically in narrative inquiry. The point of departure is the learning experiences of ten student teachers, who attended a ten week long course on voice production as part of their teacher training at Åbo Akademi University, in the autumn of 2002 and the spring of 2003. Four interviews in the form of conversations were conducted with each participant. These were crystallised with a process diary, a Swedish Voice Handicap Index, a voice observation, and a video observation. A fifth interview was conducted with each participant five years post teacher training, in the spring of 2008. Participant observation was also conducted throughout the course. The research materials have been analysed and interpreted narratively using a phenomenological hermeneutical method. The results are presented descriptively as individual narratives, which are reflected in logopedic research materials. Learning is here understood as emergent awareness. This is followed by a meta narrative concerning learning as experiences in the four dimensions body, thought, feeling, and relation. Finally, interpretation is expressed with respect to the theory of relational education. Learning is here understood as a movement in the field between the actual and the possible voice. It is also viewed as fundamentally rooted in inter-human relationships, in moments of presence and coexistence. As a tentative answer to the call for an existential space for learning in order to be a professional voice user, I suggest the concept of a learning refuge as a locus for a learning process built on trust, mutuality and openness.

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Aims: This study was carried out to investigate the usefulness of acoustic rhinometry in the evaluation of intranasal dimensions in children. The aim was to define reference values for school children. In addition, the role of the VAS scale in the subjective evaluation of nasal obstruction in children was studied. Materials and methods: Measurements were done with Acoustic Rhinometry A1. The values of special interest were the minimal cross-sectional area (MCA) and the anterior volume of the nose (VOL). The data for reference values included 124 voluntary school children with no permanent nasal symptoms, aged between 7 and 14 years. Data were collected at baseline and after decongestion of the nose; the VAS scale was filled in before measurements. The subjects in the follow-up study (n=74, age between 1 and 12 years) were receiving intranasal spray of insulin or placebo. The nasal symptoms were recorded and acoustic rhinometry was measured at each control visit. Results: In school children, the mean total MCA was 0.752 cm2 (SD 0.165), and the mean total VOL was 4.00 cm3 (SD 0.63) at baseline. After decongestion, a significant increase in the mean TMCA and in the mean TVOL was found. A correlation was found between TMCA and age, and between TVOL and height of a child. There was no difference between boys and girls. A correlation was found between unilateral acoustic values and VAS at baseline, but not after decongestion. No difference wasfound in acoustic values or symptoms between the insulin and placebo group in the follow-up study of two years. Conclusions: Acoustic rhinometry is a suitable objective method to examine intranasal dimensions in children. It is easy to perform and well tolerated. Reference values for children between 7 and 14 years were established.

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The focus of this dissertation is the motivational influences on transfer in higher education and professional training contexts. To estimate these motivational influences, the dissertation includes seven individual studies that are structured in two parts. Part I, Dimensions, aims at identifying the dimensionality of motivation to transfer and its structural relations with training-related antecedents and outcomes. Part II, Boundary Conditions, aims at testing the predictive validity of motivation theories used in contemporary training research under different study conditions. Data in this dissertation was gathered from multi-item questionnaires, which were analyzed differently in Part I and Part II. Studies in Part I employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling, partial least squares (PLS) path modeling, and mediation analysis. Studies in Part II used artifact distribution meta-analysis, (nested) subgroup analysis, and weighted least squares (WLS) multiple regression. Results demonstrate that motivation to transfer can be conceptualized as a three-dimensional construct, including autonomous motivation to transfer, controlled motivation to transfer, and intention to transfer, given a theoretical framework informed by expectancy theory, self-determination theory, and the theory of planned behavior. Results also demonstrate that a range of boundary conditions moderates motivational influences on transfer. To test the predictive validity of expectancy theory, social cognitive theory, and the theory of goal orientations under different study settings, a total of 17 boundary conditions were meta-analyzed, including age; assessment criterion; assessment source; attendance policy; collaboration among trainees; computer support; instruction; instrument used to measure motivation; level of education; publication type; social training context; SS/SMC bias; study setting; survey modality; type of knowledge being trained; use of a control group; and work context. Together, the findings cumulated in this thesis support the basic premise that motivation is centrally important for transfer, but that motivational influences need to be understood from a more differentiated perspective than commonly found in the literature, in order to account for several dimensions and boundary conditions. The results of this dissertation across the seven individual studies are reflected in terms of their implications for theory development and their significance for training evaluation and the design of training environments. Limitations and directions to take in future research are discussed.